The first regular direct voyage from Taiwan's frontline island of Kinmen to China's southeastern port city of Xiamen did not take place as planned yesterday because of what officials said was a procedural delay.
However, Kinmen County government officials expressed confidence that direct voyages, which began when the government implemented the "small three links" policy on Jan. 1, will "naturally" shift from a case-by-case to a regular basis over time.
The small three links are direct trade, postal and shipping links between Taiwan-held island groups of Kinmen and Matsu and the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou. A total of six delegations from Kinmen and one from Xiamen have taken advantage of the direct route so far.
On March 2, local authorities in Kinmen gave a county-run ferry the go-ahead to begin operating yesterday for a one-month trial period, in which the ship would set sail for China every five days. But officials were unable to complete the paperwork in time, citing complicated procedures that involved applications to various agencies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The ship sailed from Kinmen earlier in the day without any passengers to pick up a group that was scheduled to return from Xiamen.
Government statistics indicate that over 7,800 people in Kinmen have completed related applications and are currently on the waiting list to visit Xiamen.
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